Share this video

Watch Next

Wayne Rooney has become such a Teflon figure at Manchester United some supporters believe he has a clause in his contract stipulating he must play if fit. He doesn't, but fans can be forgiven for buying into the myth.

The last time Rooney properly performed in the No.10 role he had not had his first hair transplant. The productive purple patch as Javier Hernandez's foil in the spring of 2011 helped United to their 19th title, the Champions League final and might have extended City's trophy drought to 36 years if he wasn't ridiculously suspended for the FA Cup semi-final.

Reminiscing about what a brilliant player Rooney was makes his place in the current United team all the more untenable. His defenders have accused the detractors of judging him on pre-season friendlies, when he is actually being judged on years of under-performing. Rooney has not hit the 20-goal mark in over four years and has not justified his 2014 wage hike. His most useful contributions in recent seasons were arguably his speeches ahead of wins over Tottenham and City.

Read More

Jose Mourinho's comments about the likelihood of retaining the 4-2-3-1 formation with a Paul Pogba-Michael Carrick partnership have vexed United fans. 'Captain Immunity', 'Rooney gets tolerated once again', 'Need Rooney out', 'Rooney's legs are gone' and 'Put Rooney on a plane to China' were some of the comments. Based on votes cast in an M.E.N. poll on how United should start now Pogba has arrived, Rooney was excluded from the preferred XI, yet if Mourinho is adamant on a playmaker the assumption is it will be Rooney, rather than Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Juan Mata.

United have the world's most expensive footballer in Pogba, which should merit the switch to a three-man midfield, only Mourinho has often favoured 4-2-3-1 since his days as Porto coach, when the nifty Deco conducted the orchestra.

Deco bypasses Scholes in 2004

In his interview with BT Sport, Mourinho lamented United's lack of midfield 'runners'. "We have passers, we don't have runners with the ball," he said in a clear reference to Louis van Gaal's style. Pogba is the runner who should be let off the leash, but if he is starting in a partnership he could be restricted by defensive responsibilities.

Pogba can, as he showed in the Euro 2016 semi-final against Germany, muck in. Mourinho demands discipline from his attackers and Pogba is 'powerful enough [and] has defensive intensity, but at the same time creativity, has goals, has arrivals into finishing areas'. Sir Alex Ferguson noticed a shift in the midfield landscape once Barcelona got United on the passing carousel in the 2009 Champions League final and eschewed dynamic midfielders. It might explain his reluctance to give Pogba, a box-to-box midfielder, more starts than Rafael da Silva in midfield.

A 35-year-old Scholes was prioritised over Pogba

Mourinho was said to have been unimpressed by Pogba during his subdued Euros, only to be told by a friend 'So who did impress you? Zlatan?' In the final, Pogba was shackled by the negativity of Didier Deschamps, who made the baffling decision to put Moussa Sissoko in the driving seat. Pogba did not even have a back seat as he was left at the road side and Portugal defeated Les Bleus - and that was in a midfield three.

Perhaps the lack of runners is why Mourinho might be reluctant to switch from a duo to a trio in midfield, yet a Carrick-Pogba axis with Rooney ahead of them seems such an unnecessary risk.

Pogba and Carrick could become United's new partnership

Carrick enjoyed some big match performances last term but 2015-16 will remain in the bottom shelf of his seasonal United performances. He and Rooney were probably United's poorest players in the Community Shield and, mitigating factors such as the inconsequential occasion and early season timing aside, Premier League teams cannot countenance an overload of 30-somethings. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, United's figurehead, turns 35 in October.

Carrick, Morgan Schneiderlin and even Ander Herrera are all, as Mourinho opined, 'passers'. Herrera emerged when fleet-footed and nimble Spanish midfielders were en vogue and although he can handle the Premier League's physicality, he is still adapting two years into his United career. Schneiderlin has more Premier League experience than Herrera but needs to overcome his timidity at United.

How United could look in a 4-3-3 with Pogba and Lingard

The second runner could be Jesse Lingard. His goal at Leicester perfectly showcased his ability in an attacking midfield role rather than further forward, where Van Gaal trialled him in the spring. Lingard the playmaker worked just once - at City in March - with his movement off the ball bewildering a bamboozled City defence carrying the creaky Martin Demichelis, whose defending against Marcus Rashford was reminiscent of a lads versus dads match.

It could be a big season for Lingard, who arrived at Carrington before pre-season began to build his muscle mass and Ferguson's prediction he would develop at 22 or 23 has proven to be prophetic. Lingard's rapport with Pogba (they started together on Pogba's academy debut at Crewe in 2009) could convince Mourinho, while the Warrington forward's zip would energise the midfield. Crucially, Lingard has shown he is an able defender while playing as an attacker.

Mkhitaryan should be the playmaker if Mourinho retains 4-2-3-1

If Mourinho is to persevere with 4-2-3-1 then he needs Henrikh Mkhitaryan to start as the playmaker. Mourinho might be reluctant to rely on a spine which includes four recent additions, and values Rooney's continuity, yet he is the manager who has 'stupid ambition' to win every game, so he needs his best players.

Slick with a noticeable change of pace, there is little danger of Mkhitaryan becoming a passenger and he has warmed up for the Premier League's intensity in the Bundesliga.

The problem United experienced in Van Gaal's rigid formation last season was the midfield duo and playmaker were too detached, while Rooney - playing as the centre forward until February - has such an infamously harsh first touch he was unable to retain the ball to bring them into play. The issue resurfaced against Leicester, as the immobile trio of Carrick, Marouane Fellaini and Rooney were overwhelmed by the Premier League champions' wiry workhorses.